Letters to THE EDITOR: Heinous crimes that has sent tremors down the spine

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Although the accused, Ghanakanta Gogoi, in the Hotel Bilas Inn shooting case was killed in a police encounter, the tremors of the brutality he inflicted on five lives can still be felt, sending shivers down the spine and compelling everyone to ponder where human civilisation is heading. The grim incident has not only demonstrated the consequences of human greed and intolerance but has also renewed concerns about the safety and security of ordinary people. Such brutal killings have not occurred for the first time in the state. Two months ago, in the same city of Guwahati, a cab driver murdered his wife, suspecting her of having an extramarital affair, while a young man named Akash Ali was arrested for beating his girlfriend to death at a homestay. In view of such horrifying acts of violence, it has become necessary to know a person's background before entering into any business agreement or personal relationship with them.

Moreover, thousands of civilians in the state possess firearm licences, which means that the general public is exposed to thousands of licensed gun holders every day. Nobody knows who among these gun owners might lose their temper and unleash havoc with their firearms. Therefore, before approving an arms licence for any civilian, information about their behaviour towards colleagues, companions and neighbours should be collected from their locality, apart from checking their criminal records. Granting a gun licence to a short-tempered or quarrelsome person may further aggravate their aggressive tendencies and prompt them to shoot people over even trivial matters.

It is true that we are living in a world where morality, compassion and forgiveness seem to have disappeared from the human conscience. The same society that produces entrepreneurs, scholars and educators is also home to criminals like Ghanakanta Gogoi and Akash Ali. Supporting a police encounter in a heinous crime may be debatable from the perspective of the law, but sometimes, the most contentious means of seeking justice may appear to be the only option to instil fear of the consequences of crime in the hearts of perpetrators.

Kabir Ahmed Saikia,

Jorhat

Drinking water supply by Guwahati Refinery

Through the columns of your esteemed daily, I would like to draw the attention of the concerned officials of the Guwahati Refinery to the frequent disruptions in the water supply provided by the refinery to the general public of Noonmati and adjoining areas.

The Guwahati Refinery has been supplying drinking water to the residents of the greater Noonmati area for a long time as a social service. The people of this area are therefore entirely dependent on this supply, as there is no alternative source of drinking water. Due to this service provided by the refinery, the Noonmati area has not yet been covered under the urban water supply scheme or the JICA piped water supply scheme.

However, over the last couple of months, the water supply has become highly erratic, and the supply hours have also been reduced. Afternoon water supply has been completely stopped. On several occasions, there has been no water supply at all for several consecutive days. As a result, residents are compelled to purchase water at exorbitant prices.

The concerned officials are therefore requested to look into this serious matter and take necessary steps to ensure that the water supply, which is the lifeline of this area, is maintained as it was in the past.

Pranjal Dutta,

Guwahati

Making cancer a notifiable disease

What is a “notifiable disease”? A disease is termed notifiable when its incidence and prevalence must legally be reported to the government. As of August 2026, 17 Indian states have declared cancer a notifiable disease. The Supreme Court has asked states that have not yet made cancer notifiable to reconsider their stance and report back on compliance. The figures are mind-boggling: the country records approximately 1.57 million new cancer cases annually, and these numbers are by no means exhaustive. India has a robust National Cancer Registry Programme under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

However, notification is essential to ensure that hospitals across the country provide accurate information to the government. Many small- and medium-sized cancer institutes maintain diligent records, but timely reporting to the authorities is conspicuously absent. A common misconception in the past was that cancer had little to do with lifestyle choices. However, cancer is becoming more lifestyle-driven than almost any other disease, even outpacing diabetes mellitus and hypertension.

Dr Ganapathi Bhat, Akola

(gbhat13@gmail.com)

Open challenge

Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), is in the news for the wrong reasons. He has branded Prime Minister Narendra Modi a traitor and alleged that Modi became Prime Minister with the help of foreign forces. Before making such allegations, he should have solid evidence against Modi. However, so far, he has failed to produce any proof or evidence to substantiate his claims.

He went a step further by openly challenging Prime Minister Modi to an open debate, which is always welcome. As far as our memory serves us, we vividly remember the frequent disruptions of parliamentary proceedings by the Congress during the last session, resulting in a huge loss to the nation. Yes, we always welcome Rahul Gandhi to engage in an open debate on the appropriate platform, which is undoubtedly the floor of Parliament, not the streets.

I hope Rahul Gandhi and his party colleagues will allow the forthcoming parliamentary session to function normally and engage in constructive debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. India is not a banana republic where debates and arguments should take place on the streets.

Dr. Ashim Chowdhury,

Guwahati